Orchard heater



July 21, 1931.

I; v. wlTT ORCHARD HEATER Filed April 14. 1928- 2 Sheets-Sheet l B. V. WITT ORCHARD HEATER July 21, 1931.

Filed April 14. 1928 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 /QTTORNEX Patented July 2l, 1931 PATENT oer-'ica 311mm v. WITT, or' rasanmm, caniroam I ORCHARD HEATER Application mea april 14, 192:3. serial No. 269,927.

My invention relates to an improved type of orchard heater.

Orchard heaters at present in use produce a very dense smoke, or smudge, .which hovers 5 over the orchardV to protect the trees from frost. Such a smoke-covering acts to prevent radiation of heat from the ground during a. period of lowering temperature, and also acts as a blanket to hold near the fground 10 anyvheat generated by the heaters rather lf desirable, the heater of my invention may be so adjusted asto give off racticall no smoke. This is accomplished y provi ing a vapor chamber adj acent the combustion 25 chamber of the heater, the vapor issuing therefrom being intermixed with air in the stack to effect a complete combustion. Any combustible soot particles in the smoke are thus burned in the stack instead of forming ac the familiar dense smudge which is always Vextremely objectionable.

lt is an obJect of vmy -invention to provide an orchard heater-having a vapor chamber communicating with the stack, the vapors passing therefrom being burned in the stack.

' It is desirable to thoroughly intermix these vapors with vpreheated air sup 1ied-tothe stack, in order to achieve a comp ete combustion.

Itis an object of my invention to provide air tubes extending into the stack for supplying preheated air thereto.

A further object of my invention is to provide such air tubes, these tubes extendin tangentilly into the stack and being ea y removable therefr'om..

' In starting the heater, and before the liquid in the vapor chamber has reached a" va- 'pofrim temperature, it is desirable to supply. airvmixed vapors to the combustion chamber and stackfrom an auxiliary source.

It is an object of my-invention to provide an orchard heater/,having an auxiliary source of vapor which is utilized in starting the heater. Y -55 Another object of my invention is to provide novel draft regulators for the combustion4 chamber and for the air tubes extending into the stack of my invention.

' Still another object of my invention isy to provide a heater which will not require primin when starting.

urther objects of my invention will be made evident hereinafter.

Referring to the drawings in which I illustrate one form of my invention,

Fig. 1 is a vertical medial cross-sectional view of my-orchard heater. A

Fig. 2 is a side view taken in the direction of the arrow, 2 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a. diagrammatic perspectlve. view illustrating the air tube retaining means of m invention. Y

ig. 4 is a sectional view taken on the line 4-4 of Fig. 1. 7? Fig. 5 is a sectional view taken on the line 5-5ofFig-1.

Fig. 6 is a sectional view taken on the hne i 6-6 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 7 is an enlarged view taken in the direction of the arrow 7 of Fig. 1.

Fig. .8 is a vertical sectional view of the draft regulator illustrated in Fig. 7.

Fig. 9 is a fragmentary section showing an improved cover construction of the-invention. f Referring particularly toFigs. l and 2, my

7invention comprises an orchard heater 10 provided with -a fuel-retaining tank 11, the walls of which diverge as shown. A A cover o 12 is adapted to partially close theupper end of the tank 11, this cover having a plurality of inwardly clinched portions 14 which are engageable with. ears 15 formed in the top end l of the tank. The clinched portions 14 and the ears 15 cooperate to tightly secure the cover to the tank, this cover being easily removable by rotating it a small portion of a revolution relative to the tank so as -to release the inwardly clinched portions 14 from 'the ears 15 shown. The lower end of this stack is.

crimped soas to securely fit in the collar 17.

Extending upward through the tank 11, the collar 17, and into the stack 18, is a chimney providing a vapor chamber 21 therein,

the upper end of this chamber being defined by a screen 22 or other perforated cover member. The lower end of the vapor chamber 21 communicates with a primary combustion n chamber 24 surrounding the chimney and defined by the fuel retaining tank and cover, this communication being accomplished by holes 25 formed near the extreme lower end of the chimney.

The lower portions of the vapor chamber 21 and the primary combustionchamber '24 are adapted to be filled with a fuel, indicated by the numeral 26, the.level of this fuel in both chambers being maintained the same by the holes 25. -A primary combustion is instigate'd in the primary combustion chamber 24, the products of combustion rising as indicated by the arrows 27. This primary combustion is made possible by means of air supplied through a draft regulator 28.

This draft regulator is mounted on a saddle portion 29 of the cover 12, this saddle portion having a front face 30, best indicated in Figs. 7 and 8. An arcuate opening 31 is formed through this front face concentric with the axis of a bolt 32 passing through this face. The head of this bolt is clamped in a retainer 33 so as to be immovable relative A. al)

' face 30. The width of this space may be varied by turning a nut 39 threaded to the bolt 32 and bearing against a handle 40 secured to the draft plate35.

The handle 4() offers a means of registering a plurality of openings 41 formed through the draft plate with the arcuate opening 31 of the front fafce 30. Thus, the amount of air entering the primary combustion chamber may be roughly controlled by moving the handle so as to register the opening 41 with the arcuate opening 31. Fine adjust! ments of this air supply may be obtained by turning the nut 39 to increase the space between the draft plate 35 and the front face 30, thus allowing more or less air to escape through this space in a 'direction indicated by the arrow 42 of Fig. 8. The atmospheric air is heated by the heat within the tank and cover 12 and, resultant of suction created in the combustion chamber 24, this preheated air is drawn through the space 42 and mingles with the products of combustion in the primary combustion chamber 24.

The air entering the draft regulator 28 is deflected by a battle 43, this baile spreading this air substantially uniformly over the surface of the burning fuel in the primary'combustion chamber. As the combustion in the primary combustion chamber 24 continues, the fuel in the lower portion of the vapor chamber becomes eX- tremely hot and .vapors rise therefrom through the vapor chamber in a direction indicated by the arrows 44 of Fig. 1, these vapors passing throughthe screen 22 and into the stack 18. These vapors are highly com bnstible, and I completely burn these vapors in a seconda-ry combustion chamber 45 formed in the stack 18.

Airis supplied to the secondary combustio.` chamber through three series of ports respectively designated lower, intermediate, and up- ;per series 46, 47, and 48. y

In communication with the lower series of ports 46 are lower air tubes 50 formed of a shape indicated in Figs. 1, 2, and 41 These lower ai;` tubes are preferably cylindrical in cross-section and extend tangentially into the stack 18 so that the air` passing therethrough will rst be preheated due to the ,high temperature of the walls of the tubes,

and then will be delivered into the secondary combustion chamber with a swirling motion.

The upper series of ports 48 also communi- Cates with air tubes extending tangentially into the secondary combustion chamber 45, these air tubes being termed upper air tubes and designated b y the numeral 52. The inner ends of the upper air tubes are preferably cut on an angle as indicated in Figs. 1 and 5,

. and these tubes extend tangentially into the secondary combustion chamber 45 in the same direction as do the lower air tubes 50 so that these upper and lower air tubes cooperate to swirl the gases in the secondary combustion chamber so as to achieve an intimate the form of a sleeve 56 surrounding the stack w 18 and having diamond-shaped openings 57 therein, as best shown in Fig. 2. These diamond-shaped openings are adapted to register with the lower series of ports 46 when the sleeve '56 is turned by means-of handles .58.

This sleeve 56 is held in position by tongues 59 formed of the materialof the stack 18,

these tongues being bent outward to engage the lower edge of the sleeve 56 after this sleeve is in place.

T have found that it is desirable to have the upper and lower air tubes 52 and 50 easily removable from the stack 18. This I accomplish by forming anges 60 onthe lower end of each of these air tubes, as best indicated in Fig. 3. Each of these anges is adapted to slide into a U-shaped channel formed by a channel member 61. This channel extends downward on each side of the port and across the bottom thereof so as to receive the dange 60 and hold the air tube in a proper position so as to be communicable with one of the ports through the stack.

Each of the intermediate series of ports 47 communicates with an external air tube 62, this air tube extendin downward to a point immediately adjacent the upper surface of the cover 12, as best shown in Figs. 1 and 2.

s l V the fact that as the air in contact with the exteripr of the stack 18 becomes hot it rises and 1s entrapped' under the apron 65 and is forced to enter the secondary combustion chamber 45.

vchard heater, there will be a tendency to smoke, due to the fact that the fuel in the vapor chamber 21 has not beome suiiiciently hot to give off vapors. To counteract this 'action I ,provide a d'istilling spout 70 which is secured to the cover 12 inside the primary combustion ,chamber 24. This distilling spout is substantially horn-shaped and comprises an outer tube 71 terminating at a point indicated bythe numeral 72.` Disposed inside this outer tube is an inner tube 73 also terminating at a point indicated by the numeral 72. The inner and outer tubes 71 and 73 are spaced a distance apart so as to` form an' air passage 74 therebetween, this air passage communicatlng with the exterior In first startlng theoperatlon of my or- Y s, of the cover 12 s0 as to pass air therethrough, i

as indicated by arrows 5, this air entering the primary combustion chamber.

Fuel is supplied to the primary combustion chamber through the inner tube 7 3, and the distilling spout 70 is so formed'that a These external air tubes do not communicatel body of this fuel will be retained in' the with the products of combulstion rising fromv the primary combustion chamber 24. This gas mixture is highly inflammable, and produces an intense heat. The vaporsthem- 'selves are thus not only burned but also any combustible soot particles inthe smoke are likewise burned due to the high temperatures attained in the secondary combustion chamber 45.

T supply a small amount of air to the extreme upper yend of the secondary combustion chamber 45 by means of tongues 63 formed in the stack 18 and bent into the secondary combustion chamber 45, these tongues allowing air to pass into the chamber 45 in a direction indicated by the arrow 64 of Fig.v 1. An apron 65 rests on a bead 66 formed at the upper end of the stack 18, and is securely retained by a crimped portion 67 of: the stack which lies above the bead 66.` This apron extends below' the openings formedk by the tongue 63 so that the airy entering these openings is drawn fromv a spaceimmediately sur-.-

rounding the stack18, this space. being filled with very hot air due tothe heat ofthe stack 18. This entrance of air is further aided byV spout, this body being indicated by the numeral 7 7'. When the body of fuel in the prilmary combustion chamber 24 is first ignited, the distilling spout 70 is quickly raised to a high temperature, so that the body of fuel 77 therein will give off vapors, these vapors passing outward from the spout as indicated' by the arrow 78 of Fig.. 6. As this vapor is drawn into the primary combustion chamber it is intimately intermixed with air passing `suciently hot, it is unnecessary to furtherf use the dist-illing spout 70, and this spout is closed by a closing plate 8O pivoted to the cover 12. This spout also permits the heater to be lighted directly without the usual priming necessary with other types of heaters.

An important part of the invention is the whichis usedv to extinguish the' fire. Thiscover has an inner'shield 91 which extends into the top of the stack 18 so as tov shut` off as much .as possible all draft through the openings formed by the tongues 63; and it alsol hasl a horizontal {iange 93 which makes easy the removal of the cover 90. The flange aprovision of a cover 90, shown in Fig. 9,

. the staf-k 18.

I claim as my invention:

l. In an orchard heater the combination of: a fuel-retaining tank; a stack extending upward from said tank; and air tubes extending tangentiall)T into said stack for introducing preheated air thereinto.

f2. In an orchard heater thecombination of: a fuel-retaining tank; a stack extending upward from said tank;- air tubes extending tangcntially into said stack for introducing preheated air thereinto; and means for supplying combustible vapors of said fuel into lsaid stack.

3. In an.orchard heater the combination of: a fuel-retaining tank; a cover for said tank; a chimney extending through said tank and said cover, said (himney separating a vapor chamber and a combustion chamber adapted to receive a fuel; a stack extending from said cover and surrounding said chimney; and air tubes normal to the stack at the point of. communication therewith.

4. In an orchard heater the combination of: a fuel-retaining tank; a cover for said tank; a chimney extending through said tank and said cover, said chimney separating a vapor chamber and a combustion chamber adapted to receive a fuel; a stack extending from said cover and surrounding said chimney; and air tubes extending tangentially into said stack to supply air thereto.

5. In an orchard' heater the combination of: a fuel-retaining tank; a cover for said tank; a chimney extending through said tank and said cover, said chimney separating a vapor chamber and a combustion chamber adapted to receive a fuel; a stack extending from said cover and surrounding said chimney; and a distilling spout extending into said combustion chamber in a manner to supply vapors thereto, said spout' including means for supplying air to said vapors where these vapors leave said spout.

6. In an orchard heater the combination of: a fuel-retaining tank providing a combustion chamber; a stack communicating with said combustion chamber, said stack having series of ports therein; upper air tubes extending tangentially into said stack from one series of said ports; and lower air tubes extending tangentially int-o said stack from another series of said ports, said tubes cooperating to supply swirling streams of preheated air to said stack.

7 In an orchard heater the combination of: a fuel-retaining tank providing a combustion chamber; a stack communicating with said combustion chamber, said stack having series of ports therein; a cover extending between said tank-and said stack; external air tubes extending from one series of said-ports to a point adjacent said cover;

upper air tubes extending tangentially into ports, said tubes cooperating to supply swirling streams of preheated air to said sta'ck. 8. In an orchard heater the combination of: a fuel-retaining tank; a stack extending y upwardly from said tank; air tubes extending tangentially into said stack for introducing preheated air thereinto; and means for introducing preheated air into said tank.

9. In an orchard heater, the combination of: walls forming a combustion chamber; and a distilling spout extending into said combustion chamber and holding a body of fuel adapted to form combustible vapors, said distilling spout having double walls providing an air space therebetween adapted to supply preheated air to said combustion chamber for admixture with said combustible vapors.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto set my hand at Los Angeles, California, this 9th day of April, 1928.

' BIRDIE V. WITT. 

